Weigh in on the Food Charter • Big OTF Kickoff! • Register now for DC Moves • Fitness for ALL Women

We've had some wild weather swings in Headwaters over the past month which tells us that resilience will be the key for all of us going forward. Community resilience refers to our collective ability to manage through a variety of challenges, not just the weather. That is one of the pillars of well-being that will be addressed in our upcoming Community Well-Being report now in draft mode.

In This Issue

The HFFA HUB has ramped up the Food Charter project and stakeholder consultations are starting now. If you agree that a food charter should be reflective of the community it represents, and that it should be action oriented, then sign up for a session and share your feedback. The HFFA HUB is seeking input from farmers, producers, chefs, foodies, and almost everyone involved in the Headwaters food system. These initial sessions will add a lot of context to the charter development, and the public will have a chance to weigh in also at later dates.

Big OTF Kickoff! Food project blast off!

As we said in our last newsletter, huge congratulations to Jennifer Payne and her team on successfully garnering a Trillium grant for the highly successful Farm to School and Food Club program. The celebration and open house was held on Friday February 26 at the beautiful Caledon Equestrian Park and attended by over 100 parents, kids and program enthusiasts. MPP Sylvia Jones kicked off the proceedings which were attended by members of Caledon council including Mayor Allan Thompson who addressed the crowd.

HFFA Celebration - Photo by Ashley Jamieson-Burford

DC Moves now in motion

The County of Dufferin and Headwaters Communities in Action are partnering to host the DC Moves Forum. We invite the Executive Directors, program leads, or alternates from human service agencies in Dufferin to participate and provide input.

More than ever it is necessary for human services providers to work closely together, increase their understanding of one another, and be better connected in order to enhance service systems management within the County. This first meeting will be a facilitated interactive and information gathering event to start collaboratively setting directions for future sessions and actions.

Agenda:

8:30am to 9am - Registration

9am - Welcome

Working collaboratively in DC

DC Agencies – what we know

Strength in Collaboration

Break

Presentation of DC Moves

Service integration as a local model

Actions to address Poverty

While the poverty steering committee works towards effective action in Dufferin, that doesn’t preclude other wonderful efforts happening in our community. Our colleagues at Compass Church have been working on the following initiative:

WORKOUT TO FIGHT POVERTY: We know that the wealthier you are the healthier you are. Most middle income families can afford extracurricular sports and gym memberships and can afford to buy fresh and healthy food. Many people living in Dufferin County are at a disadvantage. They don’t have the resources to buy healthy food or register their children for hockey. A gym membership is not an option when you cannot afford your electricity bill. Poverty creates an economic, social and physical barrier for many in our community and sadly, the gap is widening.

Every Women’s Fitness wants to make fitness affordable for everyone! We have partnered with different fitness instructors in the Orangeville area to bring a variety of exercise classes (i.e. Zumba, kickboxing, weight lifting and circuit training) to women of all fitness levels.

The mission of Every Women’s Fitness is to ensure that ALL women in our own community have access to affordable fitness, by eliminating financial barriers. Classes currently run every Monday at 9:30am at Compass Church, though a more central location is being sought. The cost is $2.00 or “pay what you can” and 100% of the proceeds support the Orangeville Food Bank. Do you know a facility or instructor who could pitch in and help these classes spread? Please forward this note to them. For more information and to connect, please contact Bri Bull: bbull@compassorangeville.com

“Not all of us can do great things,
but we can all do small things with great love”

-Mother Teresa

Find A Ride

Listings about existing transportation options available in Headwaters, learn about eligibility requirements, hours of service and cost.

Trail Maps Listing

Over 20 trail descriptions, details and maps in the Headwaters region. Take a hike, enjoy a meal and browse our local shops!